Railway-spike.



T. J. AKERS.

RAILWAY SPIKE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 16, 190s.

Patented Jan. 12,1909.

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THOMAS J. AKERS, OF LATAE, WASHINGTON.

RAILWAY-SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application led July 16, 1908. Serial No. 443,832.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Axims, a citizen of the United States,residing at Latah, in the county of Spokane, State of lVashington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Spikes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway spikes, and has for one of its objectsto provide a divided spike of improved construction which cannot bewithdrawn from the tie except by the application of an abnormal strain,and which will not work loose under normal conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a divided spike of unequalportions so constructed that the larger portion will assume a positionat right angles to the longitudinal plane of the tie, while the smallerportion is separated and directed obliquely into the tie in the oppositedirection.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a spikehaving a laterally directed head at one end and wedge shaped at theother end, the face of the wedge next to the extended head beingrelatively short and the other side relatively long and with a lateralrecess in the side of the spike opposite to the head and a tongueextending normally into the recess, the inner face of the tongue at itsfree end inclined to the longitudinal plane of the spike whereby acavity is formed between the tongue and the body of the spike.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionas hereafter shown and described and then specically pointed out in theclaims, and in the draw ings illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a sectional detail of a railway rail and aportion of a tie with the improved spike shown in operative position inconnection therewith. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved spike.Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

The improved device comprises a spike formed with a stock or shank 10having a head 1l at one end and an unequal wedge shaped point 12 at theother end, one side 13 of the point being relatively long and the otherside 14 being relatively short, as shown. For the purpose of thisdescription the side of the spike from which the head 1I extends isreferred to as the front, and the side in which the tongue is formed asthe rear.

Formed in the rear of the stock 10 intermediate the ends is a recess 15into which a tongue 16 is directed, the recess terminating in a shoulder17 at right angles to the shank and with the inner face of the tongue atits terminal inclined at 18 and with a recess at 19 whereby a shoulder20 is formed. The terminal of the tongue is thus barbed while an angularopen cavity 21 is formed between the body of the stock and the barbedpoint of the tongue.

When a spike thus constructed is driven into the tie, represented'at 22,the longer face 13 of its wedged end would naturally cause the spike topursue a course toward the rail represented at 23, but when the cavity21 passes into the body of the tie the fibers of the wood enter thecavity from the ends and bear against the inclined face of the tongue 16and force the latter outwardly, and as soon as the point of the tongueengages the tie, it is separated and forms a course for itself curvingaway from the body of the spike, as shown, and creates a strong lateralstrain upon the spike while the tendency of the latter is to be drawninto the tie beneath the rail. The influence of the long wedge face 13and the tongue 16 are thus placed to cause the separation of the twoparts of the spike as shown in Fig. 1, with the separated parts inposition obliquely to the longitudinal plane of the tie. The elasticityof the iibers of the wood cause them to enter the cavity 21 and also tobear against the shoulder 20 of the barbed end of the tongue and thusfirmly lock the spike into the tie, and prevent its withdrawal unlessabnormal strains are applied. The spike will thus retain its positionagainst any strains to which it will be subjected, under normalconditions.

The spike can be inexpensively manufactured, as the cost of manufacturewill not be greater materially than that for manufacturing an ordinaryspike while the advantages of its use are materially greater as will beobvious.

What is claimed is:

1. A spike comprising a stock having a laterally extending head at oneend and with the opposite end wedge shaped, with the face next theextended head relatively short and the other side relatively long, alateral recess tonvue directed normally into said recess with the innerface thereof at the free end barbed, to form an angular cavity betweenthe tongue and the body of l5 the spike. il

In testimony whereof,I aiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS J. AKERS.

in the side of the spike opposite to the extended head, and a tendedhead, and a ton ue directed normally into said recess with t e innerface thereof at the free end inclined to the longitudinal plane of thespike.

2. A spike comprising a stock having a laterally extending head at oneend and with the opEo'site end Wedge shaped, With the face next t eextended head relatively short and Witnesses: the other side relativelylong, a lateral recess W. A. DAVIDSON, in the side of the spike oppositeto the ex- J AMES W. Woon.

